Egypt forms committee to investigate proceedings of hospital 57357

The Egyptian government has formed a committee to investigate complaints about the operation and spending of prominent charity hospital 57357, Egypt’s Social Solidarity minister Ghada Waly said.

The move comes two weeks after prominent screenwriter and columnist Wahid Hamed wrote an article questioning the well-known cancer hospital’s spending of millions of Egyptian pounds worth of donations.

He also criticised the organization’s big-budget advertising campaigns and what he described as the extravagant salaries of the management, which he claimed is dominated by one family.

An MP has also demanded an investigation into the hospital’s spending.

Wali said in video comments published by local news website Youm7 that an extensive committee comprising members from the country’s anti-graft and supervisory bodies and representatives from the health and solidarity ministries will look at complaints received by the ministry and take necessary measures in case of administrative, financial or medical violations.

“It is very important that we highlight the positive work of civil society but at the same time work to identify and take legal measures against any violations or transgressions,” the minister told reporters in the video.

The committee, which consists of members from Egypt’s Central Auditing Authority and the Administrative Control Authority, will take ten days to conclude its findings, Wali said.

The hospital, which is named after its hotline donations, was founded in 2007, and relies entirely on donations to treat children cancer patients, organise advertising campaigns and pay the salaries of its staff.

Last week, the hospital slammed the allegations against it as “inaccurate information” and said in a statement that it had prepared a report with detailed lists of donation expenditures and sent it to authorities.

The hospital also filed a lawsuit with the country’s public prosecutor accusing Hamed of spreading false news about the organisation.

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